


Sex, Chais, and Coffee Shops

by redswimmer, TheRenegadeAuthor



Category: A:TLA, AtLA - Fandom, Avatar (TV), Avatar the Last Airbender - Fandom, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coffee Shops, College, F/M, Modern, My First Fanfic, Starbucks, University, Zutara
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-09
Updated: 2014-11-09
Packaged: 2018-02-24 16:29:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2588369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redswimmer/pseuds/redswimmer, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRenegadeAuthor/pseuds/TheRenegadeAuthor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zuko is working at a Starbucks to put himself through school. Katara is a customer. Zuko is a klutz and Katara is amazing. Need I say more?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sex, Chais, and Coffee Shops

For Zuko, today had no reason to be any different than yesterday and every single day before it. He woke up at five in the morning and painfully rolled out of bed, sore from his workout the night before. As usual, he climbed in for a quick morning shower, dressed, ran a comb through his unruly hair, and slung his book bag over his shoulder. He barely had enough time to warm himself a cup of coffee before heading down to the Starbucks on Third to start his morning shift. At times like that, Zuko was always grateful he could firebend. Average tasks made easy by his bending had always been more remarkable to him than the flamboyant tricks and moves he diligently practiced every day.

Zuko finished opening the café with a sigh and despite his contempt for the thing, tied his well-worn apron around his waist and prepared for the surly morning crowd, barking for their overpriced coffee like dogs for a steak. And without fail, they did come. Fay wanted her usual soy vanilla latte with no whip and a shot of caramel. Briggin wanted his usual hot tea with a double chocolate chunk cream filled pastry slightly heated. Zuko moved from machine to machine, never missing a beat. After three years at this shitty job, he knew the ropes. Each customer was just another cog in the machine, another ingredient in each drink he made. They were faceless and Zuko himself was a simple drone. But, as Zuko reminded himself every time he was denied overtime payment or screamed at by an irate fifteen year old, this was just for one more year. Just one more year of struggling to help pay his way through college before he could run from this coffee hell as fast as his legs could carry him.

When the morning coffee rush died down and the café grew empty, Zuko brewed himself a cup of tea, his personal favorite and specialty, and took a table near the counter. He began to pull out one of his textbooks, confident the next two hours of his shift would be uneventful enough to allow him to get some of his neglected work done. Unfortunately when he looked up to check that the café was still customer free he noticed a girl was peering over the counter in search of service. Zuko reluctantly put down his book and made his way behind the counter.

“Welcome to Starbucks. What can I do for you today?” Zuko asked, not bothering to make eye contact in favor of planting his stare on the register.

“Hi can I get a tall hot tea?” the girl asked in a chipper, yet mature voice.

“Tall… tea… okay anything else?”

“Nope that’ll be it!”

Zuko went to the kettle on the counter and poured the lukewarm tea into a cup and feeling particularly lazy, decided to ditch the microwave in favor of firebending to heat up the tea. 

“Alright here you go,” Zuko said handing her the now steaming hot cup of tea. “That’ll be three copper pieces.” As the girl handed him her money, Zuko looked up and shook his hair to the side. Staring back at him was perhaps the most beautiful girl Zuko had ever seen. She had beautifully rich, caramel skin and brilliant blue eyes. Obviously of watertribe descent. Her thick, wavy brown hair reached all the way down to her waist and her outfit was casual in the most gorgeous way possible. Thick lenses hung on her nose and only enhanced her amazing eyes. Zuko couldn’t help but stare. This girl was something else.

Of course, being the suave, calm and collected guy Zuko was, he managed to drop the copper pieces she’d handed him and they all managed to roll under the counter. Zuko’s felt his face flush a horrible red, but much to his surprise, the girl just smiled sweetly at him and offered to help him pick up the change.

“Bit of a butterfingers are we?” she chuckled.

Zuko fought to gain his words. Part of him was ashamed of how easily this girl had made him lose it. He hadn’t acted this insecure since high school.

“Ha yeah… I’m actually the reason Starbucks has to gouge all its customers… can’t stop breaking the coffee cups… real financial burden on the entire company,” Zuko managed to joke weakly.

“Clumsy with a sense of humor… I like it!” the girl laughed.

Zuko had just snagged the last copper piece from under the counter when his apron got caught on the ledge. He continued his smooth routine by crashing head first into the girl, spilling scalding tea all over his arm and her neck. Zuko fell on the floor holding his arm and wincing in pain, cursing himself for overheating the tea. Remembering he’d also just scalded a customer, he opened his eyes, prepared to call an ambulance if the girl was badly hurt. However, instead of finding her pathetically coiled on the ground like he was, he saw she was on her knees and, having removed her jacket, bending water out of the ice machine calmly to apply to the burn on her neck. Her hands glowed a soft blue color where she touched her skin and when she finished, the burn was gone. Zuko was almost glad he was in pain because at that moment he felt he deserved it. He couldn’t stop thinking how sexy she looked healing herself despite the fact that it was a wildly inappropriate time to be having such thoughts. She shrugged her jacket back on and started to get up when she saw an incredibly stunned and disheveled Zuko staring at her while clutching a vivid red burn.

“Oh my gosh! Geez you really managed to outdo yourself klutz,” she said, dropping to her knees at Zuko’s side and bending some more cold water to her hands. “Okay this might sting a little bit, but if you hand me your arm I can stop that burn from matching your other scar,” she said smiling a comforting grin as she eyed the nasty scar on Zukos’s left eye. He held out his arm gingerly and she got to work. Within the minute his blistering skin was cooled and any signs of an oncoming burn were fading.

“Wow thank you! That’s absolutely amazing. I’ve never seen a waterbender that could heal so quickly,” Zuko said in complete marvel at the girl. He gathered his courage to truly introduce himself.

“So… I’m Zuko,” he awkwardly smiled.

“I can see that!” the girl chuckled and pointed to the rather large nametag that said ZUKO in clearly readable lettering. Zuko fought the redness returning to his face, although he knew it would take more than a lame introduction to outshine the embarrassment he’d already cause himself this morning.

“Ah-er… right… well what’s your name?” he asked.

“Katara.”

They sat there smiling at each other on the floor for a few seconds before they realized someone was walking up towards the entrance of the café. Zuko hurriedly stood up and realized his apron was sopping wet and, while better than having burns all down his torso, it was not a great look on him.

“Oh shit!” he exclaimed as he grabbed a towel off the counter and began mopping himself up.

“You really are not the best at thinking on your feet are you,” Katara mused with laughter in her voice. Just as Zuko was about to go into his hot head mode on her, driving away both Katara and the new customer who would surely walk in on his outburst, Katara used her bending to take the tea out of Zuko’s clothes and dump it into a nearby potted plant.

“There. You’ve still got some dried tea leaves on you, but you don’t look like a disaster area.”

Zuko gratefully mouthed a quick thank you and dashed behind the counter to fill the customer’s order. After he was done with what was he thought, an obnoxiously complicated order for one person, he looked up to see that Katara had not left the cafe and was instead sitting quietly reading a book she’d pulled out. Desperate to do something nice for her since he’d made a complete fool of himself this morning, he made her a fresh cup of tea, without the aid of fire of course in case his clumsiness caught up with him yet again today. 

“Here.” Zuko said offering a weak smile as Katara looked up from her book. He handed her the cup, grateful that he managed to keep every drop in the cup. “Mind if I sit?” Zuko asked.

“Sure,” Katara replied with a grin that made her face positively light up in a kind and as far as Zuko was concerned, beautiful way. 

“So do you go to school around here?” Zuko inquired.

“Yeah I’m in med school at the university. First year, but I’m really loving it!” Katara replied. Her clear healing abilities from earlier made it no surprise to Zuko that she was a medical student. “What about you?” Katara asked.

“I’m studying business on a pro bending scholarship. My dad is expecting me to take over the family business one day, but his policy has been to cut me off from all funds since I was in high school. He claimed I needed to make my own way in the world, despite the fact that he’s a multi millionaire, so I got good at pro bending and between that scholarship and this idiotic job, I’ve managed to get myself through college so far.”

“Wow someone as uncoordinated as you is allowed on a pro bending team?” she chuckled and winked at him. Zuko blushed, yet again today. 

“So are you… involved with anyone?” Zuko asked, earning a laugh from Katara.

“No the only man in my life, besides my big brother, is my dorky friend Aang, and he might as well be my brother! We grew up together and my family kind of took him in a bit after we became friends… His family wasn’t always around when he needed them, so we gave him a home away from home as it were. He’s my best friend.” Zuko was touched by her response. Now more than ever he knew he liked this girl. Katara looked at her watch and swore under her breath. “Jeez I’m sorry Zuko, but I’m late for my disease treatment lab… but I’d love to continue this conversation sometime?”

“Oh yeah… sure… here’s my number and you can text me yours.” Zuko said, more than a little sad Katara had to go so soon. “How about we get together Friday night? For dinner?” Zuko asked.

“Friday sounds great! I’ll text you and we can pick the place, time, etc.” Katara said as she gathered her things and her tea in a to-go cup and made her way out the door. 

Zuko half wondered if she’d really text him. It’d be just like a girl as stunning as her to ignore a guy like him. In a fit of insecurity, he dug out his phone, which he was not supposed to do when he wasn’t on break, but when he looked down and read the bright text popping up on his screen, he knew it was worth it. 

“Hey it’s katara :)”

 

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Friday night rolled around in no time. Zuko and Katara had decided to meet at a local restaurant famous for it’s traditional earth nation food. An hour into their date and nothing could have been going better. They were laughing and connecting in a way that Zuko couldn’t remember ever doing with anyone before. Katara was so different than anyone he’d met before. She was incredibly down to earth and not afraid to be herself. She was dripping with confidence and her intelligence was clear with every word she spoke. She had managed to make Zuko come out of his shell and talk openly with her. He was completely infatuated. 

It didn’t hurt that Katara looked like a masterpiece either. She wore a loose , sleeveless white blouse with delicate red embroidery at the neckline, black skinny jeans and black boots. Her thick glasses from before had been left behind in favor of light but bold red eyeshadow that echoed the red in her top. Zuko couldn’t imagine a more perfect looking woman. 

“Is that a betrothal necklace?” Zuko asked when he noticed the expertly carved pendant that hung on her neck. 

“Yes, but it’s not mine. It was my mother’s. She passed away when I was little and I’ve worn it ever since. Sometimes I feel like it’s all I have left of her.” Katara said with a sad sigh as she gazed down at the table. Zuko felt horrible for asking and reached out across the table to hold her hand and give a reassuring squeeze. She looked up and brushed away a tear in her eye. “Thanks.”

As much as he didn’t like to admit it, he looked just as striking for their date. He wore a pair of skinny khakis that hugged his toned frame and a button up light blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the top two buttons undone. Had he not had his eyes fixed on Katara, he might have noticed the admiring glances both of them were receiving, but in her company he couldn’t have cared less. 

As they finished up their meals Zuko felt desperate to keep their night going. The hours had only made Katara look more incredible as the night went on. Her perfect hair had fallen slightly, and the stray strands now framed her face. Their conversation was already deeper than he’d had with even his longest relationships. Despite his desperation, it was Katara who invited him back to her apartment for drinks with a sly smile. Zuko nearly choked on his water. 

As he pulled into her driveway trailing Katara, Zuko kept telling himself to stay calm and realistic. Surely she just wanted to invite him in for a bit. Nothing special. 

“This is the place.” Katara said as she took Zuko’s hand, guiding him in with the smile Zuko loved so much. Her apartment was what you would expect from a med student. Textbooks and notes littered the tables, but other than that, it was a pretty nice place. “Would you like some wine? I’ve got a sangria that just sounds really good right now!” Katara asked.

“Yeah that sounds wonderful.” Zuko beamed at her.

“Great! Why don’t you go check out my DVD’s and find something you like. We can switch from the awkward-first-date-scary-formal-dinner to the wine-and-tv type of date,” she chuckled while she poured the wine. Zuko made his way over to her DVD’s and selected the first thing he recognized. He was sure it didn’t matter what it was. He was going to be spending his time thinking about Katara no matter what he chose. 

Katara made her way to the couch and handed Zuko his wine as she passed him. He popped in the DVD and turned around, unsure whether he was meant to sit with her or on the other side of the couch. 

“You coming?” Katara asked and motioned next to her. Zuko smiled and swished the hair out of his eyes, delighted she seemed to be as comfortable with him as she was. He took a gulp of the wine and sat down next to her, careful to put the wine on the coffee table lest he spill yet another drink on her this week. Almost instinctively Katara copied him and set her glass down so she could lean against him as the movie’s opening credits began.

A hundred thoughts raced through Zuko’s head. Most of them having to do with his sweaty palms and potentially bad breath. Why had he eaten the garlic bread at the restaurant? He tried to inconspicuously wipe his hands on his pants, but the small movement had grabbed Katara’s attention. 

Taking the movement as some sort of sign, she locked her fingers in his. He gulped, almost audibly. Would she be repulsed by his clammy hands? Or would she just suffer through the sticky embrace? The thought of either caused Zuko to go red in the face. 

Wrapped up in his own self-conscious delusions, he barely noticed it when Katara’s other hand found it’s way to his lower thigh. Almost being the operative word. He looked down, his eyes tracing the outline of her supple hand. Perhaps, it was all in his head.

Zuko smiled more confidently now. Katara shifted in her spot so she could face Zuko properly and leaned in to kiss him. It was soft and forceful all at once as they both got comfortable and sunk into it. Zuko’s tongue grazed against Katara’s lips and hungrily she allowed him in. Katara’s hands pulled at Zuko’s hair, sending shivers down his spine. 

The kissing was still far too tame for what Katara liked. She sucked on Zuko’s bottom lip, driving him absolutely wild. He pulled her on to himself and she straddled his lap.They stayed like that for a few minutes, kissing, sucking and nipping at each other’s lips while Katara began to grind her hips on Zuko. He moaned into her mouth at the much needed friction and moved his hands down the length of her back and gripped her closer to him, pushing back in time with her hips. She pushed her hair to the side, inviting him to her neck where he soon attacked and was quite sure left a mark.

“Zuko, please no hickies,” Katara laughed. “I’m having lunch with my brother tomorrow and he will kick your ass if he sees that!” 

Zuko half chuckled in between peppering her shoulders and neck with kisses. He desperately wanted to take in all of Katara. He slid his hands down her body to her waist and in one fluid motion pulled off her blouse. He worked his way down her chest, kissing the newly exposed flesh.Before he could start work discarding what was, in his opinion, an incredibly annoying and inconvenient bra, Katara was gripping at the buttons on his shirt, popping the first one with a smirk. 

“Bedroom?”Zuko breathed harshly.

“Bedroom.” 

Katara slid off Zuko’s lap, grabbing his hands to pull him off the couch and lead him to her room. He leaned forward as he stood, catching her mouth desperately as she began walking backwards towards the closed door across the room. Her back slammed against the door and Zuko pinned her with his hips, thrusting against her with fire in his eyes. She worked her hands down to his hips, pushing him off of her gently. She bent down with a smirk and began undoing the buttons of his shirt with her teeth. One. By. One. Zuko groaned when she grazed over his crotch to get the final button. Fumbling with the door knob behind Katara, he finally got it open and without missing a beat, Katara was up and pulling him into her room. When they reached the bed, she spun them around and pushed Zuko onto the bed roughly and climbed on top of him, straddling his hips like before. She bit her lip as she examined Zuko's exposed torso. Taking a single finger, she traced the rugged terrain that was his abs. He tried to grab her and pull her in for a desperate kiss, but she resisted, pinning his entire body with her own. He bucked, desperate for her touch, but Katara declined. She was in control now.

 

“Now, now Zuko, patience is a virtue. And I promise, I’m worth the wait.” She hushed seductively and winked, putting her finger to his longing lips. Inch by inch she brought her finger down from his mouth to his chest, and from his chest to his navel and then finally at the top of his pants. 

 

“Time for some fun,” Katara chuckled softly. She undid the button and frustratingly slowly unzipped his pants. Zuko growled with a pleasure as her fingers just barely brushed the pulsing package beneath his briefs.

 

Unable to stand it any longer, Zuko made a last desperate move for the top. Catching the waterbender off guard, she let out a shriek of pleasure of Zuko now pinned her to the bed. She giggled, but only slightly, as she was soon silenced by Zuko’s passionate kiss. Moving further south, he paused to suck on her exposed breast. He worked the right one expertly with his mouth, eliciting tiny moans of pleasure from Katara as he nipped and sucked the swollen nub. His left hand paid equal attention to the left, alternating between tweaking her nipple and giving long squeezes to her entire breast. 

 

With a forceful tug, he removed the last of Katara’s clothing, which was much easier considering her boots had somehow got lost along the way. He took a moment to admire the work of art that was the dark skinned goddess. She looked positively radiant staring up at him, gasping with want. Katara sat up and the two’s mouths collided. As they kissed, Katara dropped Zuko’s pants to his ankles and he kicked them off so his legs were entirely free. He grabbed her hands and slid them beneath the elastic band of his briefs. Her hands worked her way around his waist to sit strongly on his ass, which she noted was quite firm. She had no problems believing that he was a pro-bender anymore. 

 

Katara withdrew from the kiss, causing Zuko to groan in desperation for more, but she again put a finger to his lips to silence him. She maneuvered it so that it was now Zuko whose back was on the bed and ever so carefully she slid off his briefs. 

 

Freed from its confines, Zuko’s cock sprung upwards. With a sly smile, Katara ran her hands over its head, causing him to purr with pleasure. “Please Katara…” He begged, reduced to putty in her hands. 

 

Gently she worked Zuko over, never taking her eyes of his face that continuously contorted with pleasure. She couldn’t help how overcome with lust she felt at the little noises he was making and had to resist rubbing her thighs together. When she thought he was good and warmed up, she carefully brought her lips over his head, which was already glistening with pre cum.

 

Assaulted by the tight, warm experience, Zuko bucked his hips, but Katara had prepared for such action and was already firmly holding him to the bed by his hips. Again, Katara gently worked him over with her tongue, beginning with long, lazy strokes at the base and working him up to the tip. She took him into her mouth entirely now, loosely stroking what she couldn’t fit with her hand, but it wasn’t tight enough to give Zuko the kind of relief he desperately needed. He begged for more, but she refused to give into his demands, teasing him with just the slightest of pleasures.

 

“I can’t take it anymore, Katara. Please…” It was amazing how fast Zuko had gone from aggressive to nothing but a small child asking for permission. Katara laughed. Of course, this wasn’t exactly exclusive to the poor firebender. Most men melted at the touch of a woman, particularly one of Katara’s knack for teasing. She figured that she had had her fun and decided to take mercy on Zuko, who was looking more pained by the second. 

 

Katara grabbed his hips and switched them so he was on top and she propped her knees up. She reached into her night stand, pulling out a shiny wrapper from the top drawer. She ripped open the package with her teeth and slid the condom on to Zuko, giving him one more hard stroke as she removed her hand.

 

“Zuko,” she said calmly, “fuck me.” Zuko was sent over the edge as the filth graced her mouth. He wasted no time lining himself up and sinking into her, pushing deeper into her tight center. They both moaned loudly and Zuko began to move back and forth slowly, letting Katara adjust. He had to admit, he was pretty well endowed and he was sure it wasn’t entirely comfortable for most girls at first. Slowly, they built into a rhythm and Zuko was trying with all his might to make this last because God, she felt good. 

 

Katara’s breathing was rapid now and she wrapped her legs around his waist, encouraging him to thrust deeper. 

 

“Zuko… God Zuko… fuck yes. Faster” Katara gasped as she bit her lower lip. She was incredibly close and from the erratic thrusts of Zuko’s hips, she could tell he was too. Zuko pulled her legs up higher on his back, delighted to find she was very flexible. He hit deeper each time and by the sonance that Katara was making, he could tell he was hitting her sweet spot with every thrust. 

 

Feeling his own climax building, he took one hand and rubbed at the sensitive bundle of nerves that made Katara nearly choke with pleasure, wanting her to come first. She dug her nails into his back, hard enough that Zuko knew he’d have scratches in the morning. 

 

“Come on Katara. Come for me.” Zuko said as he thrusted hard on her sweet spot.

 

Katara came with Zuko’s name on her lips, practically screaming as she rode out her climax. Zuko felt her tightening around him and he thrusted twice more before he was coming and riding out his own shock waves. In the wake of his own orgasm, his arms felt like deadweights and he fell slack against Katara’s body. They laid there for a minute, just regaining their breath. Finally, Zuko rolled over and off the bed to rid himself of the used condom before he climbed back into bed with Katara, sleep already showing in her contented, but tired smile.

 

He pulled her into him, wrapping her up in his arms and kissing her forehead lightly. He watched her drift off, content to just watch her until he felt himself be overcome by exhaustion and fell asleep as well. 

 

 

 

__________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

Zuko woke up first the next morning and realized they’d shifted overnight. Katara’s forehead was rested against his and their legs were tangled up in an oddly comfortable way. His hand rested on her perfectly smooth waist. When he stirred, Katara’s eyes fluttered open and they gazed at each other with sleep in their eyes, sex in the air and satisfied smiles on their faces. He pulled her waist closer to him, giving her a tender peck on the nose and she giggled in reply. Just then, a faint knock could be heard coming from the front door. 

 

“Oh shit!” Katara muttered, horrified, as she hopped out of the bed, dashing to grab whatever stray clothes she could. 

 

“Katara, what the hell is wrong?” Zuko asked, instantly concerned.

 

“You gotta get out of here. That’s my brother.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hey thanks for reading! Shout out to my co-author, tumblr user one-nation-under-kuvira.  
> Additionally, a big thank you to tumblr user geekingout for beta-ing for us!  
> My tumblr is vengefulvixen.  
> This was our first (published) fic. It was fun to write and I hope to keep writing! Comments and kudos welcome and appreciated! Thanks again!


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